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Fighting on the Home Front: The Legacy of Women in World War One
'History at its most celebratory' Daily Telegraph'Adie uses her journalistic eye for personal stories and natural compassion to create a book definitely worthy of her heroines' Big Issue'Fascinating, very readable . . . provides a complete wartime women's history' Discover Your History* * * * * *Bestselling author and award-winning former BBC Chief News Correspondent Kate Adie reveals the ways in which women's lives changed during World War One and what the impact has been for women in its centenary year.IN 1914 THE WORLD CHANGED forever. When World War One broke out and a generation of men went off to fight, bestselling author and From Our Own Correspondent presenter Kate Adie shows how women emerged from the shadows of their domestic lives.Now a visible force in public life, they began to take up essential roles - from transport to policing, munitions to sport, entertainment, even politics. They had finally become citizens, a recognised part of the war machine, acquiring their own rights and often an independent income.The former BBC Chief News Correspondent charts the seismic move towards equal rights with men that began a century ago and through unique first-hand research shows just how momentous the achievements of those pioneering women were.This is history at its best - a vivid, compelling account of the women who helped win the war as well as a revealing assessment of their legacy for women's lives today.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 26, 2013
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755 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 2, 2019
Shallow, disorganized, unsourced, and the author frequently interjects herself into the narrative. Moreover, there's a "golly-gee-whiz" tone about attitudes toward women and how they've changed, which might have been supportable in a similar book 40 years ago, but is absurd now. There are far better books about women in the Great War than this.
January 7, 2014
At the end of WWI few (women) realised how much they had done for future generations. They had become citizens. Even if the law, prejudice and convention were still obstacles to full recognition, they had taken great strides towards equality, leaving footprints all over traditional male-only territory.
Kate Adie's excellent history of women's involvement from all walks of life in the war machine made me think deeply about how far we've come in a century. By taking concrete examples from all walks of life, the 'glamour' of the nursing staff, the well-known munitionettes and Land Girls, to the women who clean the trains (but were never allowed to drive), the clippies on the trams, the poster-pasters and the skeleton women's police force, she shows us women determined to do their bit, to prove that they were not the equal of men, but a more-than-acceptable replacement, women who fought in their own way just as hard as men for victory. Their grit and determination and sheer hard work wasn't so much surprising to me as the obstacles put in their way. We forget that 1914 was an Edwardian world of clearly-defined class positions and extremely rigid sex discrimination. Women were the weaker sex - literally, physically and mentally. They were the guardians of morality - and therefore to blame when morality 'failed'. French brothels were accepted, the very idea of a British woman mingling with the troops though, would damn them all. The resistance to women doing their bit, even when that encompassed the nurturing roles such as nursing for which they were accepted, was unbelievable, and Kate Adie's book is unbelievable full of examples.
It's a book about the politicisation of women, but it's also a book about the failure - or perhaps I should say the limitation - of it. It's a book that shows how women succeeded by playing to the strengths learned the hard way before the war - of organisation and mass mobilisation - through the much-derided women's suffragist movements. It's a book that made me think about why women don't seem to have been so traumatised by the war as men - Adie argues that because expectations of courage were so low, they couldn't fail, an interesting perspective. And it's a very readable book too - it's not just for the history buff, not just for the feminist, you don't even have to know much about the War. It's not a military history, and in fact the War itself is largely absent from it. But it brings the War slap bang into perspective, a century after it started.
Really highly recommended.
Kate Adie's excellent history of women's involvement from all walks of life in the war machine made me think deeply about how far we've come in a century. By taking concrete examples from all walks of life, the 'glamour' of the nursing staff, the well-known munitionettes and Land Girls, to the women who clean the trains (but were never allowed to drive), the clippies on the trams, the poster-pasters and the skeleton women's police force, she shows us women determined to do their bit, to prove that they were not the equal of men, but a more-than-acceptable replacement, women who fought in their own way just as hard as men for victory. Their grit and determination and sheer hard work wasn't so much surprising to me as the obstacles put in their way. We forget that 1914 was an Edwardian world of clearly-defined class positions and extremely rigid sex discrimination. Women were the weaker sex - literally, physically and mentally. They were the guardians of morality - and therefore to blame when morality 'failed'. French brothels were accepted, the very idea of a British woman mingling with the troops though, would damn them all. The resistance to women doing their bit, even when that encompassed the nurturing roles such as nursing for which they were accepted, was unbelievable, and Kate Adie's book is unbelievable full of examples.
It's a book about the politicisation of women, but it's also a book about the failure - or perhaps I should say the limitation - of it. It's a book that shows how women succeeded by playing to the strengths learned the hard way before the war - of organisation and mass mobilisation - through the much-derided women's suffragist movements. It's a book that made me think about why women don't seem to have been so traumatised by the war as men - Adie argues that because expectations of courage were so low, they couldn't fail, an interesting perspective. And it's a very readable book too - it's not just for the history buff, not just for the feminist, you don't even have to know much about the War. It's not a military history, and in fact the War itself is largely absent from it. But it brings the War slap bang into perspective, a century after it started.
Really highly recommended.
October 25, 2017
This is a very good and thorough look at the many ways in which British women contributed to the Great War, both on the Home Front and directly supporting the Front Line. It is anecdotal in style, and (I assume) targeted at the 'common reader' (in the Woolfian sense). The scholar in me kept looking for footnotes and references, but not because I didn't trust what Adie was saying. Just because I wanted to know more!
There were inevitably some gratifying surprises. I went into this thinking mostly about the knitting of socks, but such contributions rated only a very small portion of the wider book. Obviously I learned a lot!
I was particularly impressed by Sergeant Major Flora Sandes of the Serbian Army - apparently the only British woman to have officially served as a soldier during the Great War. First time I'd even heard about her, and I'm damned glad I finally caught up.
This is all spiffing stuff, and a reminder that's needed (even today) that whatever it is, women can do it.
There were inevitably some gratifying surprises. I went into this thinking mostly about the knitting of socks, but such contributions rated only a very small portion of the wider book. Obviously I learned a lot!
I was particularly impressed by Sergeant Major Flora Sandes of the Serbian Army - apparently the only British woman to have officially served as a soldier during the Great War. First time I'd even heard about her, and I'm damned glad I finally caught up.
This is all spiffing stuff, and a reminder that's needed (even today) that whatever it is, women can do it.
August 24, 2014
This was such an interesting read. I learnt so much about the important contribution women made to the war effort. It is a story every female should read to appreciate the impact they made and how much this has contributed to the lives we lead today.
June 11, 2021
While an interesting subject, I found that I was often getting confused and lost with the way that the author structured the book. Yes there was chapters, but I felt like the author only really touched upon each subject briefly and while mentioning the things that women did during the First World War, I didn't really feel like I was reading about the legacy of those brave and wonderful ladies who went up against everything to fight for their own rights and to step in to the shoes of the men who went of to war.
The author jumps around a little on each subject, including parts about her own father and other moments in life and in the wars which I felt like it didn't belong, it didn't feel like it had anything to do with the women of the Great War which was quite disappointing in my eyes as I had really been looking forward to reading this book for a while.
The author jumps around a little on each subject, including parts about her own father and other moments in life and in the wars which I felt like it didn't belong, it didn't feel like it had anything to do with the women of the Great War which was quite disappointing in my eyes as I had really been looking forward to reading this book for a while.
January 28, 2024
3.5 stars.
This is a great look at women in World War I, and I found myself laughing at some of the anecdotes, sad at some of the letters from men who never made it home, and rolling my eyes at the opinions of men regarding women's ability to do actual work. I learned several new things, including some of the more famous women's names (including Flora Sandes, who joined the Serbian Army and actually fought in battles). The author added a lot of historical context into the book as well, which helped solidify why people thought the way they did. However, my biggest complaint was the constant author insertion that took place in the book, for little to no reason, and the focus on Kate Adie's home town of Sunderland. I felt like that detracted from the story she was attempting to tell, as there was nothing she shared from her personal life that added anything of note.
This is a great look at women in World War I, and I found myself laughing at some of the anecdotes, sad at some of the letters from men who never made it home, and rolling my eyes at the opinions of men regarding women's ability to do actual work. I learned several new things, including some of the more famous women's names (including Flora Sandes, who joined the Serbian Army and actually fought in battles). The author added a lot of historical context into the book as well, which helped solidify why people thought the way they did. However, my biggest complaint was the constant author insertion that took place in the book, for little to no reason, and the focus on Kate Adie's home town of Sunderland. I felt like that detracted from the story she was attempting to tell, as there was nothing she shared from her personal life that added anything of note.
January 9, 2024
Even thought the book is a heavy topic it's a easy read. The actual book was quite interesting and I learnt a lot about women in the war
The author likes to go about herself and Sunderland a lot.
The author likes to go about herself and Sunderland a lot.
January 18, 2020
Well worth reading. Even though it was a subject I already knew a fair amount about, there are aspects to this book that have made me see things slightly differently. I've learnt a great deal as well!
December 7, 2017
Kate Adie’s detailed examination of the myriad ways in which the lives of women changed during the First World War offers a fascinating glimpse into the social and political upheaval of the period. It wasn’t that women hadn’t been pushing for change in the old order: the suffrage movement was gaining momentum and industrialisation was opening up new opportunities. However, the advent of war and its voracious need for men to fight on the Front, meant that women from all walks of life stepped up to do a wide range of jobs which had traditionally be done by men. They were also used, in a cynical way some could argue, via a poster campaign which encouraged men to fight for their country – suddenly the power of the female voice was being recognised! Many women were keen to use these new opportunities to break free from the shackles of a paternalistic, chauvinistic and stifling society and to play their part in fighting the enemy. However, they also had to fight against dismissive attitudes on the home front, from politicians and from the employers and the unions. Not only was there the issue of what they should be paid (certainly not as much as men were paid!) but they were constantly reminded that these jobs were only “for the duration” and that, once the war was over, the men would replace them. There were also some lines which couldn’t be crossed – for instance, the women were allowed to clean the trains but not to drive them ….. chauvinism and prejudice were still alive and kicking! Nevertheless, the fact was that, in so many ways, the genie was out of the bottle and life would never be the same again, for either men or women.
Kate Adie’s exploration of the complexities of these changes was impressive, highlighting some things which I hadn’t previously given thought to. One example being that a successful and popular campaign for volunteer knitters to provide items such as socks, gloves, scarves etc. for the troops was regarded as a major threat to the jobs of textile workers. She also highlighted, through well-researched examples, many instances of incredible bravery, of women risking their own lives and yet their exploits were seen as “plucky” and “splendid” rather than “brave” – another reflection of the paternalistic attitudes of the time! She told the story of Flora Sandes (probably my favourite character in the book), an ambulance volunteer who eventually fought with the Serbian army, thus becoming the only woman to officially fight in the war. I had never heard of her and yet she is still regarded by Serbs as a national hero!
This book is full of wonderful examples of the roles women adopted during this period, of neglected heroes and of the ways in which the lives of people on the home front were frequently in danger, either through the work they did or as a result of Zeppelin raids which brought death and destruction. There were times when, partly as a result of the chapter- construction of the story, I found some of the themes and observations repetitious, but overall this is a very well-written account of a fascinating period.
Kate Adie’s exploration of the complexities of these changes was impressive, highlighting some things which I hadn’t previously given thought to. One example being that a successful and popular campaign for volunteer knitters to provide items such as socks, gloves, scarves etc. for the troops was regarded as a major threat to the jobs of textile workers. She also highlighted, through well-researched examples, many instances of incredible bravery, of women risking their own lives and yet their exploits were seen as “plucky” and “splendid” rather than “brave” – another reflection of the paternalistic attitudes of the time! She told the story of Flora Sandes (probably my favourite character in the book), an ambulance volunteer who eventually fought with the Serbian army, thus becoming the only woman to officially fight in the war. I had never heard of her and yet she is still regarded by Serbs as a national hero!
This book is full of wonderful examples of the roles women adopted during this period, of neglected heroes and of the ways in which the lives of people on the home front were frequently in danger, either through the work they did or as a result of Zeppelin raids which brought death and destruction. There were times when, partly as a result of the chapter- construction of the story, I found some of the themes and observations repetitious, but overall this is a very well-written account of a fascinating period.
April 20, 2025
I was extremely impressed by this - Kate Adie draws on her own experience of war (and the attitude of both the soldiers and their commanders towards journalists!) and of being a woman in societies where they are automatically expected to be second-class citizens. ("As one cameraman observed: 'He's looking at you as if you were the cat - and he wouldn't be caught dead talking to his cat in public.'")
She casts further light on famous stories (Vesta Tilley performing as "Burlington Bertie", middle class women giving out white feathers on the street, yellow-stained munitions workers) and uncovers other information that was completely new to me. I had no idea about what was going on in Serbia during the First World War, let alone that British women were involved there (and made more welcome by the Serbian command than by their own Army) - or that the enormous number of horses in the war implied an equally enormous number of hay-nets, almost all of which were manufactured at home by the women of a single small town in England.
But most vitally of all, she has a genuine sense of the social *context* in which all this was taking place. When voluntary organisations all expected to obtain titled women at the head of their committees, that wasn't simply nepotism or snobbery: it was because those were the people with the most resources, the most experience in getting their own way, and the most political influence, being related to half the government. When voluntary organisations worried about the virtue of young factory girls, that wasn't just prudery: it was a very real concern for young women who were often brought up with zero knowledge of the mechanics of sex, and whose lives would be destroyed by an accidental pregnancy. When trade unions complained about women workers, it wasn't just misogyny: they were worried that women for whom it was a novelty to get any pay at all would undercut the going rates that had been hard-fought-for, and that they would be too compliant to stand up to the bosses.
She doesn't just sit there and condemn Edwardian social mores from the anachronistic viewpoint of modern feminism, but acknowledges without objection that "pouring out everything [emotionally] would have been met with embarrassment and not a little disgust"; she recognises that many of the 'ordinary' women didn't see their roles at all in the light of liberation, and presents their viewpoint with as much sympathy as those who had been suffragettes before the war (and were thus extremely well-equipped to organise and argue a cause). We get chapters on women preachers, women footballers (a natural offshoot of women factory workers, since factories were the source of most contemporary football teams), women police officers, women surgeons, and women postmen and the surprisingly uncensored nature of correspondence with family members in the front lines ("descriptions of corpses floating in their trench or men drowned in lakes of mud"). She has clearly researched a vast amount of material, but the book is very readable.
She casts further light on famous stories (Vesta Tilley performing as "Burlington Bertie", middle class women giving out white feathers on the street, yellow-stained munitions workers) and uncovers other information that was completely new to me. I had no idea about what was going on in Serbia during the First World War, let alone that British women were involved there (and made more welcome by the Serbian command than by their own Army) - or that the enormous number of horses in the war implied an equally enormous number of hay-nets, almost all of which were manufactured at home by the women of a single small town in England.
But most vitally of all, she has a genuine sense of the social *context* in which all this was taking place. When voluntary organisations all expected to obtain titled women at the head of their committees, that wasn't simply nepotism or snobbery: it was because those were the people with the most resources, the most experience in getting their own way, and the most political influence, being related to half the government. When voluntary organisations worried about the virtue of young factory girls, that wasn't just prudery: it was a very real concern for young women who were often brought up with zero knowledge of the mechanics of sex, and whose lives would be destroyed by an accidental pregnancy. When trade unions complained about women workers, it wasn't just misogyny: they were worried that women for whom it was a novelty to get any pay at all would undercut the going rates that had been hard-fought-for, and that they would be too compliant to stand up to the bosses.
She doesn't just sit there and condemn Edwardian social mores from the anachronistic viewpoint of modern feminism, but acknowledges without objection that "pouring out everything [emotionally] would have been met with embarrassment and not a little disgust"; she recognises that many of the 'ordinary' women didn't see their roles at all in the light of liberation, and presents their viewpoint with as much sympathy as those who had been suffragettes before the war (and were thus extremely well-equipped to organise and argue a cause). We get chapters on women preachers, women footballers (a natural offshoot of women factory workers, since factories were the source of most contemporary football teams), women police officers, women surgeons, and women postmen and the surprisingly uncensored nature of correspondence with family members in the front lines ("descriptions of corpses floating in their trench or men drowned in lakes of mud"). She has clearly researched a vast amount of material, but the book is very readable.
May 30, 2023
Received this as a gift from my boyfriend when he went travelling across the province (When you read this: Thank you, R-thoughtful as always).
I really wanted to like this book more than I did.
I'm not exactly sure how, but Kate Adie has managed to write an entire book about Women's History without examining any of it through a feminist lens. In places where there could be analysis of why women were treated so poorly during this time period, or why society chose to respond the way it did to certain actions of women, she shrugs her shoulders and gives a "Oh gosh golly, women were treated badly weren't they?" lackadaisical response and just carries on with the book without trying to go deeper into it.
The information she does give is badly organised and superficial. For example, her entire take on Vesta Tilley is "Hey did you know there was a woman who dressed up like a male soldier for entertainment/propaganda purposes?". Adie's take on the complex issue of women dressing like men in the Edwardian Era is equally shallow. "It was controversial" is about all she says and fails to detail why that would be.
Another example is Flora Sandes.
Flora Sandes, in my opinion, was the most interesting person in this entire book. The information about her was a bit more in-depth than others mentioned- but instead of having all the information in one part of the book, it's spread out between 2 or 3 parts. I am sorry to say the Wikipedia had much more detailed information and analysis of Flora Sandes than what Adie offered in her book.
Adie tries to enrich her book by layering in stories about her time as a war correspondent and stories about her ancestors during the First World War. This would have been a good technique if her ancestors and war correspondence stories were relevant to the story, but they're not. For example, in the chapter about women's role(s) in the Anglican Church, she mentions her ancestor was a preacher (I think a Methodist?) and how he would have seen changes happening-but he doesn't actually do anything! He neither supports women nor does he actively campaign for their exclusion. In fact, his views on the changing role of women in the Anglican Church are never mentioned. The fact that he simply existed during this time period and is related to the author is sufficient reason for Adie to include him, apparently.
Her war correspondence stories are badly executed. Essentially, she makes remarks like "I've spent hours laying in a ditch in a war zone, so I kind of know what I am talking about". While that's true, the way she writes about her own experiences comes off as cheap and superficial and ultimately, she fails to connect her experiences to those of the people in WWI.
This would be an excellent book for a teenager, or someone who is brand new to Women's History or studies.
I really wanted to like this book more than I did.
I'm not exactly sure how, but Kate Adie has managed to write an entire book about Women's History without examining any of it through a feminist lens. In places where there could be analysis of why women were treated so poorly during this time period, or why society chose to respond the way it did to certain actions of women, she shrugs her shoulders and gives a "Oh gosh golly, women were treated badly weren't they?" lackadaisical response and just carries on with the book without trying to go deeper into it.
The information she does give is badly organised and superficial. For example, her entire take on Vesta Tilley is "Hey did you know there was a woman who dressed up like a male soldier for entertainment/propaganda purposes?". Adie's take on the complex issue of women dressing like men in the Edwardian Era is equally shallow. "It was controversial" is about all she says and fails to detail why that would be.
Another example is Flora Sandes.
Flora Sandes, in my opinion, was the most interesting person in this entire book. The information about her was a bit more in-depth than others mentioned- but instead of having all the information in one part of the book, it's spread out between 2 or 3 parts. I am sorry to say the Wikipedia had much more detailed information and analysis of Flora Sandes than what Adie offered in her book.
Adie tries to enrich her book by layering in stories about her time as a war correspondent and stories about her ancestors during the First World War. This would have been a good technique if her ancestors and war correspondence stories were relevant to the story, but they're not. For example, in the chapter about women's role(s) in the Anglican Church, she mentions her ancestor was a preacher (I think a Methodist?) and how he would have seen changes happening-but he doesn't actually do anything! He neither supports women nor does he actively campaign for their exclusion. In fact, his views on the changing role of women in the Anglican Church are never mentioned. The fact that he simply existed during this time period and is related to the author is sufficient reason for Adie to include him, apparently.
Her war correspondence stories are badly executed. Essentially, she makes remarks like "I've spent hours laying in a ditch in a war zone, so I kind of know what I am talking about". While that's true, the way she writes about her own experiences comes off as cheap and superficial and ultimately, she fails to connect her experiences to those of the people in WWI.
This would be an excellent book for a teenager, or someone who is brand new to Women's History or studies.
November 8, 2019
This title was in the bibliography section of the novel that I read this summer, "The Lovely War". The novel was set in WWI - the Great War and this non-fiction title is about women, mostly British women, who worked, suffered, and served while almost all of the men were in France.
I learned many things that I had never thought about:
*Women were working to get voting rights
*Women were wanting equal pay for equal work while the men were gone
*Women wanted functional clothing to work in factories, to deliver mail, to serve on the front
*Women wanted to serve as soldiers but were considered to "delicate" to be in the trenches or doctors in the field hospitals.
There are a host of other topics that were very interesting. The author is British and as you read you discover that she had several members of her family serve in this war. Chapters are arranged topically so if you want to skip around you probably can.
If you are curious about WWI and society in general at this time you will appreciate this book.
I learned many things that I had never thought about:
*Women were working to get voting rights
*Women were wanting equal pay for equal work while the men were gone
*Women wanted functional clothing to work in factories, to deliver mail, to serve on the front
*Women wanted to serve as soldiers but were considered to "delicate" to be in the trenches or doctors in the field hospitals.
There are a host of other topics that were very interesting. The author is British and as you read you discover that she had several members of her family serve in this war. Chapters are arranged topically so if you want to skip around you probably can.
If you are curious about WWI and society in general at this time you will appreciate this book.
February 9, 2025
Some of the information was fascinating, especially the net making. However the book didn’t flow. It felt like it had been cut and pasted until the sense had disappeared. Or the author just left parts out as they were obvious to her but not to the reader with less knowledge. Also some sections seemed like they were in the book because the author found them interesting but had little to do with the book’s topic. Overall the book seemed random and repetitive.
February 18, 2025
Mrs. Adie has done her research both within the memories of her own family and then getting into the historical records. Anyone reading this book will learn much about World War I and women's part in the victory that came at last. At the same time, the war itself and the need for volunteers and a viable work force (within Great Britain) meant the placement of women in men's jobs and from there there was a revolution for women and a better placement for women within life and culture.
March 31, 2019
Really thought I was going to enjoy this, even though it was my book club offering and I did for about half of it then it began to get just like the dry history books you had to read and use for exams. Crammed with wonderful facts but really hard to enjoy
September 2, 2024
Number: 61
Re-read: No
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Whilst I found this book to be interesting and informative, I struggled with the choppy nature of the structure, we jumped about a lot and there was no real sense of a chronology. I think the book would have benefitted from a more in-depth exploration of certain topics rather than a brief overview of a lot. I did take a lot from it though and learnt a lot about the history of women's roles in the wars so it's definitely worth a read if you are interested in that history.
Bookshelf: interesting but not one i'll re-read so off to the charity shops with you.
Re-read: No
Rating: ***
Thoughts: Whilst I found this book to be interesting and informative, I struggled with the choppy nature of the structure, we jumped about a lot and there was no real sense of a chronology. I think the book would have benefitted from a more in-depth exploration of certain topics rather than a brief overview of a lot. I did take a lot from it though and learnt a lot about the history of women's roles in the wars so it's definitely worth a read if you are interested in that history.
Bookshelf: interesting but not one i'll re-read so off to the charity shops with you.
October 24, 2019
Brilliant writing.
July 14, 2022
Brilliant
Yet again Kate Adie hits the mark; history with compassion and In context. Leaves the reader with good for thought.
ms
Yet again Kate Adie hits the mark; history with compassion and In context. Leaves the reader with good for thought.
ms
Want to read
November 10, 2025I learned of this book via this post: https://bookdout.wordpress.com/2025/1...
May 13, 2023
I've jokingly referred to this book as God Forbid Women Do Anything, but seriously: god forbid women do anything. This is a brilliant overview of the lives and work of women in WWI, but it's also a shocking look at the amount of pearl-clutching men were doing over the fact that women were [checks notes] working, and riding bicycles, and wearing skirts that came to a few inches above their ankles, and playing football, and delivering the post, and [gasp] wearing trousers! Whatever next? The vote?
The book is not a deep-dive, but it presents enough narrative and facts to provide a really solid history of the changing times. The chapters each deal with a type of work, and focus on that specific industry throughout the war; threaded throughout is the wider story of women's suffrage, and the increasing freedom that they wrestled for themselves during and following WWI. As fascinating and encouraging as it is, it's also impossible not to get frustrated and even angry at the treatment of these women, both before the war -- when they were second-class citizens -- and during and after, where they had worked to the bone to keep the country running and were then expected to basically go right back to the kitchen. It's impossible to deny that women's rights would have progressed even more slowly if not for the First World War, and it's absolutely shocking that it took millions of deaths and the worst conflict then witnessned in human history to make politicians and husbands realise that maybe literally half the world's population might be worth including in day-to-day life. I always knew that the treatment of women up to this time was shocking, but it really is unnerving to see whole newspaper articles dedicated to insulting young women for playing football or going to work, commenting on their clothing and making sweeping judgements about their personalities and honour. Like, there's a war going on. Surely there are worthier things to dedicate newspaper stories to?
This is a brilliant opener to the subject, or a solid overview if you want to fill in some basic knowledge. It's a great piece of women's history, and really showcases what's changed and what's unfortunately stayed the same.
The book is not a deep-dive, but it presents enough narrative and facts to provide a really solid history of the changing times. The chapters each deal with a type of work, and focus on that specific industry throughout the war; threaded throughout is the wider story of women's suffrage, and the increasing freedom that they wrestled for themselves during and following WWI. As fascinating and encouraging as it is, it's also impossible not to get frustrated and even angry at the treatment of these women, both before the war -- when they were second-class citizens -- and during and after, where they had worked to the bone to keep the country running and were then expected to basically go right back to the kitchen. It's impossible to deny that women's rights would have progressed even more slowly if not for the First World War, and it's absolutely shocking that it took millions of deaths and the worst conflict then witnessned in human history to make politicians and husbands realise that maybe literally half the world's population might be worth including in day-to-day life. I always knew that the treatment of women up to this time was shocking, but it really is unnerving to see whole newspaper articles dedicated to insulting young women for playing football or going to work, commenting on their clothing and making sweeping judgements about their personalities and honour. Like, there's a war going on. Surely there are worthier things to dedicate newspaper stories to?
This is a brilliant opener to the subject, or a solid overview if you want to fill in some basic knowledge. It's a great piece of women's history, and really showcases what's changed and what's unfortunately stayed the same.
November 15, 2014
Fighting on the Home Front by Kate Adie is an interesting and informative picture of the many roles played by women in Great Britain in the war effort. As the heavy drain on available men from civilian jobs grew, women from all social classes stepped up to fill the jobs that
Needed to be done in every sector of society from mine to factory, from delivering the mail to working the fields. And it was accomplished in the face of strong resistance from not only the wholly male ruling class in government and military, but of those women of all social strata who just could not be convinced that women could do anything more than knit comforters and socks.
This is a feminist book only in the sense that it champions the, now obvious ( I try to hope) that a woman is capable of succeeding in any job or profession. The book is not a political screed. It is a well- written of the accomplishments of many strong- minded, brave and confident women to take their place in the world.
The First World War changed much of society, not always for the better. But freeing women from second and third class citizenship was a grand achievement
Highly recommended.
Needed to be done in every sector of society from mine to factory, from delivering the mail to working the fields. And it was accomplished in the face of strong resistance from not only the wholly male ruling class in government and military, but of those women of all social strata who just could not be convinced that women could do anything more than knit comforters and socks.
This is a feminist book only in the sense that it champions the, now obvious ( I try to hope) that a woman is capable of succeeding in any job or profession. The book is not a political screed. It is a well- written of the accomplishments of many strong- minded, brave and confident women to take their place in the world.
The First World War changed much of society, not always for the better. But freeing women from second and third class citizenship was a grand achievement
Highly recommended.
November 29, 2015
Kate Adie brings an interesting personal touch to the forgotten stories of women who struggled against a patriarchal society for the right to be taken seriously. Adie marries the story of the fight for electoral representation with that of the women who took men's places in the workplace during the war firmly on men's terms. This isn't a story often told in the more typically eulogising accounts of plucky little women filling the gap left by men who were fighting on the front. This is a story of women used cheaply as a stop gap and not recognised for the effort and the sacrifice they made to support the armed forces and the nation. There are some remarkable stories of bravery and bloody mindedness in the face of patronising male dismissal of women's abilities. There are also parallels drawn by Adie between the chauvinism of Edwardian Britain in a theatre of war and the chauvinism shown to her 80 years later as a war correspondent. There is some repetition of themes across the piece, and not everything in the book is entirely engaging, but on the whole this is a good popular history of a little-celebrated aspect of World War One.
June 12, 2020
From domestic roles to war heroines, British women stepped into men’s shoes to help in the war effort. They did not wait to be invited, they just grabbed the reins, and in doing so, broke free of the paternalistic Edwardian society of WWI.
What baffled me is the dismissive attitude they had to face, even when they were desperately needed to win the war.
When signing my copy of Fighting On The Home Front at EAFOL, and upon learning I was Lebanese, Mrs. Adie recounted when once covering the civil war in Lebanon, she and her crew took shelter in a shoe shop when fighting suddenly broke out. Three hours later, when all was quiet, the owner offered all of them pair of shoes. She said something to the effect of: You Lebanese, how you love life!
“[…] showy clothes were a particular red rag to the puritan bull.”
At the end of WWI “few (women) realised how much they had done for future generations. They had become citizens. Even if the law, prejudice and convention were still obstacles to full recognition, they had taken great strides towards equality, leaving footprints all over traditional male-only territory.”
What baffled me is the dismissive attitude they had to face, even when they were desperately needed to win the war.
When signing my copy of Fighting On The Home Front at EAFOL, and upon learning I was Lebanese, Mrs. Adie recounted when once covering the civil war in Lebanon, she and her crew took shelter in a shoe shop when fighting suddenly broke out. Three hours later, when all was quiet, the owner offered all of them pair of shoes. She said something to the effect of: You Lebanese, how you love life!
“[…] showy clothes were a particular red rag to the puritan bull.”
At the end of WWI “few (women) realised how much they had done for future generations. They had become citizens. Even if the law, prejudice and convention were still obstacles to full recognition, they had taken great strides towards equality, leaving footprints all over traditional male-only territory.”
November 12, 2014
A year ago I started reading about WWI, fiction and non-fiction, just about anything I could find. I am happy I found "Fighting on the Home Front". Up until this point, I hadn't come across anything about what happened on the home front (England) let alone what women did in the war.
Well this book has it all. It is a well-written and researched account of both the home front and the role women played in the war. Just about anything you can think of that needed to be done on a daily basis is in this book showing how women, who had never worked these jobs before, took it upon themselves to keep the country running.
Besides the war effort in factories and the nursing on the fields of battle, they took over running the postal service, the trolleys, the trains, the farms, and even the police forces as "Copperettes". People were shocked at the sight of women clerks and typists.
I highly recommend this book.
Well this book has it all. It is a well-written and researched account of both the home front and the role women played in the war. Just about anything you can think of that needed to be done on a daily basis is in this book showing how women, who had never worked these jobs before, took it upon themselves to keep the country running.
Besides the war effort in factories and the nursing on the fields of battle, they took over running the postal service, the trolleys, the trains, the farms, and even the police forces as "Copperettes". People were shocked at the sight of women clerks and typists.
I highly recommend this book.
March 6, 2016
Kate Adie brings alive the times of the First WW particularly the plight of women….tied to the home, little opportunity in a male dominated society. At the start of war with so many men soldiering abroad it was necessary to use the women in new roles covering for the men's absence. She ranges over the ensuing changes which dramatically changed the status and ambitions of women. They did all sorts of things as part of the war effort: working in munitions, on the land, the buses, the trains. All this was supposed to be ….for the duration. And indeed when men returned from the war thousands of women returned to their previous domestic roles. However life was not quite the same for power and status had moved towards womenfolk through a partial victory on the vote. Kate Adie does a wonderful job describing the plight of women, the changing circumstances and the legacy for society then and now…….
May 30, 2014
I wasn't keen on this book, i read 5 pages and decided it wasn't for me - part of the problem was that the print was very small and it was tiring to read, i found it boring facts instead of stories, i suppose it was partly my fault for not reading the synopsis properly, i just looked at the subject matter and decided it would be interesting as i've read a lot of good books about the home front in the second world war - the pictures however were really interesting (there are 2 lots of about 5 or 6 bright white pages which have pictures on them)
December 11, 2013
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I never realised what my Grandmother's life was like or why my mother told me that my Grandmother was " always on marches " Some parts seemed to be a bit disjointed chronologically but other than that it did provide an insight into life of women and the changes brought about by the war.
March 25, 2014
An interesting account of the lives of women during the great war. However, my one criticism is the appalling amount of errors throughout the book which affected my enjoyment and the general flow of reading. Having contacted the publisher and not even received an acknowledgement to my email, I am unimpressed and therefore will not look to read books from this publisher in the future.
June 19, 2015
An interesting and absorbing book which outlines and explains the many ways that women supported the men during World War One, often very courageously, despite the enormous difficulties of being permitted to!
November 24, 2013
surprised that the publishing date is 1 Dec, I got it out of the library...
interesting book, lots to say re value of women and social history
interesting book, lots to say re value of women and social history
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